2012年9月10日月曜日

Cutler, Offense Sluggish Early End Strong in Win over Luck and Colts

Jay Cutler didn't look like he could believe he had thrown the the ball, but he had, and if a Bears fan needed proof, they just needed to look at the scoreboard.

Ultimately, though, Cutler and the offense found their rhythm and powered past the Indianapolis Colts, slapping Andrew Luck around a bit for good measure.

The Bears offense ended the day firing on all cylinders, and Cutler found his new weapons—Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery—early and often to the tune of 12 catches for 199 yards and two touchdowns.

Marshall was a beast and everything he was advertised to be, using his size and strength to pull in pass after pass. He and Cutler appear to be starting off the season on a hot note.

Ditto Cutler and Jeffery, who capped off his day with a beautiful 42-yard touchdown to seal the game. While Jeffery still had his "rookie" moments, overall he looked fantastic and on pace to take over that No. 2 spot in the next few weeks.

He showed good hands and some solid route-running.

Matt Forte and Michael Bush were just as effective on the ground as the receivers were through the air.

The pair split the carries almost in half, and each got a touchdown (Bush with two) and looked like they will complement each other very well.

Defensively, Brian Urlacher returned to action, and he and his unit warmly welcomed Luck to the NFL, generating three sacks and three interceptions while pressuring the rookie all day long.

Luck made some bad throws and some equally bad decisions, the sort that he was known for avoiding at Stanford. This is the NFL, though, so Chris Conte and Tim Jennings were more than happy to take advantage of his mistakes.

The defense continued its bend-but-don't-break philosophy, and did a good job of shutting down the pass and stifling the run. One touchdown was the pick-six I mentioned at the start, another a garbage touchdown late.

This is a team that can't afford another slow start, though, with a game at Lambeau this Thursday.

Despite some struggles by the Packers, they are an offense that can score. If Cutler doesn't fire off early, it might be the time the Packers need to get a head up on the Bears.